Yahu (Rock) Blackwell Future WBU World Champion

Posted on August 23, 2014

Boxing star Yahu Blackwell was born in 1986 in Baltimore, Maryland, where his life was soon marked by a turbulent beginning. His father left the family soon after his birth, so the responsibility for his upbringing fell on the shoulders of his mother, Sandra. Considering that the area in which they lived was pretty tough, Blackwell had to develop the ability to look after himself at an early age. “Baltimore is a very dangerous city and we had very little money and resources, so growing up was pretty rough,” he recalls.

“The only thing me and my family had was Yahuah, my dreams, each other, and our values.” Fortunately, he was a natural athlete, and at the tender age of seven developed a liking for boxing. In his youth, this passion for boxing became even stronger, to the degree that he formed an ambition to become a world champion boxer. As Blackwell explains, “Becoming a man without my father was by far the most challenging thing in the world. My mother did a fantastic job raising me and my brother, but when your father is absent, there’s a void there that Mom cannot fill. Kids need heroes and role models; it plays a huge role in who they ultimately become. Boxing provided those heroes for me, and I fell in love with becoming a champion.” Those heroes included some of the legendary boxing greats, like Sugar Ray Leonard and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Yahu Blackwell developed a fast, hard hitting style as he built his career on the amateur boxing circuit. When he decided to turn professional, he left an incredible 156-28 amateur record behind him, which included winning the South Atlantic Championship.

By constantly reinventing himself in the ring, Blackwell has become an extremely exciting fighter to watch. Blackwell now has a sizable fan base attracted by his punching power and explosive speed in the ring. However, the adulation of his followers is not entirely based on his boxing ability. The truth is that his impressive good looks, charming smile, and gravitating personality will some day turn him into a boxing icon. Put all this together, and it is obvious that Blackwell is a star on the rise, with the potential to become a marketing goldmine. Those who know something about the essentials of the “noble art” comment on his devastating punching power. For example, New York sports writer Charlie Stanford wrote, “Blackwell is a great orthodox puncher with knockout power and amazing speed in both hands.” On March 5th, 2014, it was announced by the World Boxing Union (WBU) that Rock Blackwell was ranked the #1 contender for the WBU America's title.

Some may find it difficult to understand that, for Yahu Blackwell, there is also a religious and spiritual dimension to his life. As he expresses it so eloquently: “I am driven by becoming the perfect version of myself and making good on Yahuah's investment in me. Some fighters or athletes desire to be the best ever; I desire to be the best I can be and understand what it means to maximize all the gifts that Yah has invested in me. More importantly, I want to heal the land and help as many people as can. Victories in the ring don’t make me a champion – service to the people does.” Boxing today is in serious need of dynamic young fighter to replace the older stars approaching the end of their boxing careers. It requires exciting and marketable stars of the future, like 27-year-old Yahu Blackwell, to attract both followers and the new money necessary to reinvigorate the sport. Given his expressed outlook on God, life, and his career, Yahu Blackwell seems to be the perfect icon and role model for the new face of boxing.